Co-axial switch connector



Jan. 27, 1959 G. M. Dow 2,371,321

CO-AXIAL SWITCH CONNECTOR Filed Feb. 3, 195a 33 6-0200 M Dow 42 44 39 37 so By izcr 3 ATTORNEY United States Patent- CO-AXIAL SWITCH CONNECTOR Gordon M. Dow, Warren, Minn.

Application February 3, 1958, Serial No. 712,992

Claims. (Cl. 200-153) This invention relates in general to connectors and in particular to coaxial cable connectors.

It is at times desirable to use a common antenna for a radio transmitter and a radio receiver. This may be accomplished by a switch and it is desirable that the high level energy from the transmitter not be coupled to the receiver during transmission.

It is an object of this invention to provide a coaxial switch contact in which the center conductor is disconnected with one side being grounded and the other side is open.

Another object is to provide an isolating switch contact.

A feature is found in the provision for a coaxial switch contact in which the center conductor may be broken with one part being open and the other part being connected to the outer conductor.

Further objects, features and advantages will become apparent from the following description and claims when read in view of the drawings, in which;

Figure 1 is an exploded view of the coaxial switch connector of this invention,

Figure 2 is partial cutaway of a coaxial switch with the connector of this invention shown in section, and;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the connector.

Figure 2 illustrates a coaxial switch which has a first connector 11 that may be connected to an antenna, not shown. The center conductor of connector 11 is connected to a pivoted conducting member 12. A nut 13 is threadedly connected to connector 11 to lock it in position to the body of the switch.

The opposite end 18 of the pivoted member 12 moves between a pair of contact points 19 and 21. An insulated plunger 17 engages member 12 and controls its position. A relay 14 is attached to wall of the switch 10 and has its armature connected to plunger 17. A supporting member 15 holds a pair of electrical contacts 16 which are connected to an energizing circuit.

A second coaxial connector 22 is attached to the switch by threads and a locking nut 26. The contact point 19 extends from the end 24 of the connector within the body of the switch.

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mounted in opening 31 for longitudinal movement and has a disc 37 of conducting material attached to its inner end by pin 36. The disc 37 is too small to engage ring 39. The outer end of conductor 32 comprises the contact point 21 which is enlarged to hold a washer 34 thereon. A shorting disc 38 fits between conducting ring 39 and the member 30. It is formed with a large central opening through which conductor 32 extends.

A spring 33 fits behind washer 34 and within an enlarged recess in opening 30 to bias conductor 32 outwardly.

In operation, the connector of this invention has two positions. The first position occurs when the relay is energized -as shown in Figure 2. The conductor 32 is depressed by end 18 of member 12 against spring 33 until pin 36 engages pin 43 to provide a current path between conductors 42 and 32. At the same time the dis 27 is moved out of engagement with shorting disc 38 to remove the electrical circuit between the center conductor 32 and body member 23 through the disc 37.

When the relay 14 is not energized, the member 12 engages contact point 19 and contact point 21 moves to the position shown in Figure 3. The pins 43 and 36 separate thus breaking the center contact through the con- A third connector 23 is threadedly connected to a portion 27 of switch 10 by nut 28.

Figures 1 and 3 illustrate the connector 23 in detail. It comprises a threaded body portion 23 of conducting material which has mounted therein a female connector 41 of insulating material and which has a center hollow conducting portion 42 adapted to receive a male onductor. The member 41 extends partially through body portion 23 and a disc 44 of conducting material is attached to hollow conducting portion by a pin 43.

A conducting ring 39 engages the inner wall of body portion 23 and engages one end of the insulating material of portion 41 and a conducting disc 38 which is formed with a relatively large center hole. g

A portion 30 of non-conducting material is formed with a central opening 31. A center conductor 32 is nector. The disc 37 engages disc 38 and shorts the conductor 32 to the wall of the connector 23. Thus, stray energy picked up by the connector 32 and 21 will be by-passed to ground whereas the center conductor 42 which is connected to electrical equipment, as for example, a radio receiver, will not be shorted out.

Referring to Figure 2, the pivoted conductor 12 has a field of radio frequency passing through and around it while a transmitter is in operation. Point 18 of this member is within of the receiver end of the coaxial cable, and a coil which is tuned, usually to the frequency on which the transmitter is operating. It is at this point where there is a continual opportunity for radio frequency to couple to contact 19 and cause damage to the receiver coil. The grounding of the contact between 37 and 38 prevents any possibility of the radio frequency being coupled into the receiver as this serves as a barrier at this point. It is seen that this invention provides an improved t connector and although it has been described with respect to a preferred embodiment it is not to be so limited as changes and modifications may be made which are within the intended scope as defined by the appended claims.

I claim: 1. A coaxial connector comprising a hollow conducting body portion, a first conductor insulatingly supported Within said body portion, a second conductor supported within said body portion for longitudinal movement, said first conductor engageable with said second conductor to move it to a first position wherein it is electrically connected to the first conductor but not electrically connected to the body portion and spring bias means attached to said second conductor to move it to a second position when the first conductor is electrically connected to the body portion.

2. A coaxial connector comprising a hollow body portion of conducting material, a first center conductor insulatingly mounted within one end of the body portion, a conducting spacer ring mounted within the body portion adjacent the inner end of the first conductor, a conducting disc formed with a large center hole mounted adjacent the end of the conducting spacer ring, a second conductor mounted in insulating material in the other end of the body portion, a spring recessed in one end of the insulating material and biasing said second conductor out of engagement with the first conductor, the inner end of said second conductor extending through a large opening in the conducting disc, at shorting disc attached to the 3 inner end of said second conductor, and said second conductor movable from a first position wherein the second conductor is in engagement with the first conducting disc to a second'position wherein the second conductor is out of engagement with the first conductor and the shorting disc is in engagement with the conducting disc.

3; Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the first conductor is hollow.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the outer end of the second conductor forms an electrical contact.

5. A coaxial switch comprising a main body portion, three connectors attached to the coaxial switch, the center conductor of the first connector attached to a pivoted conducting member, the other end of said pivoted conducting member movable between the center conductors of the second and third connectors, a relay for controlling the position of the pivoted conducting member and the second and third connectors being constructed according to claim 2.

References Cited in the file of this patent "UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,432,230 Dorne Dec. 9, 1947 

